At Mobile World Congress Americas in September, Voxon Photonics showed off the world’s first 3D holographic call made possible by Verizon 5G.

Using Verizon’s 5G network on the Los Angeles Convention Center show floor, Voxon Photonics sent medical data from the Verizon booth to the Ericsson booth - a distance of about 200 feet - and conducted the first-ever real-time video conference where the caller’s holographic face appeared using an Intel RealSense depth camera. Call participants were then able to collaborate around the holographic medical images they were viewing, manipulating and viewing the images from every direction.

Frustrated that this type of holographic communication only existed in science fiction, Voxon Photonics’ CEO Will Tamblyn and co-founder Gavin Smith began on a journey 11 years ago to invent the technology. They started out with a laser pointer and a piece of cardboard and are now proud to claim the world’s most advanced 3D volumetric display.

“Our goal is to show what’s really possible with this new generation of wireless technology,” said Tamblyn. “It’s not just for mobile phones but has applications in everything from remote medical diagnosis to video games and video conferencing.”